Before the Story
by Tonight's The Night
Summary: A series of drabbles featuring the characters before the beginning of the series. Explore the Gaang before they met, and realize that all characters have a story. Rated T for darker drabbles. Three drabbles per chapter.
1. Pants, Brothers, and Juggling

1. Pants

"Katara, have you seen my pants?"

The waterbender glanced up from the stew pot. "Your . . . _pants_?"

Sokka made a frustrated noise. "I can't find them."

Katara turned back to the pot of stewed sea prunes. _Mom would've known._

It had been almost a year since she'd died. The thought left a raw, hollow spot in Katara's heart.

Something rose to the top of the stew, driving the thought from Katara's mind. "Sokka," she said reproachfully as she lifted the article from the pot. It dangled from the spoon, soaked and stained. "I think I found your pants."

* * *

2. Brother

Mai stared through the glass divider, fighting the nausea churning in her stomach. _This can't be happening._

Her mother wailed; Mai wondered how the glass didn't shatter from the sound.

It was like those awful Ember Island plays her parents made her watch, except the blood was real. Mai's stoic mask shattered as her jaw dropped.

A cry tore through the hospital.

Minutes passed. Eventually, a nurse poked her head out of the room and addressed her. "You're Mai, aren't you?"

Mai nodded.

The nurse smiled warmly. "It's time to meet your baby brother."

_I'm never having children, _Mai vowed.

* * *

3. Juggling

Aang watched the show. Gyatso, more interested in his charge's rapt expression than the entertainment being provided, watched Aang.

The performer smiled, balancing on the ball of his foot as he juggled leechi nuts. Twirling, he snatched the nuts from the air and collected them in his palms. The crowd cheered, throwing flowers.

"Monk Gyatso, can you teach me how to do that?"

"Juggle?"

Aang nodded eagerly.

Gyatso smiled. "Well, I can try."

Twenty minutes later, the old monk watched his pupil juggle ten leechi nuts while balancing on a platform of air.

Teaching was a very rewarding profession sometimes.


	2. Perfection, Maps, and Fireworks

_Author's Notes:_

_Most of these drabbles will be 100 words, but some will be slightly longer. I'll put the word count beside the title for those that are. Thanks for reading!_

* * *

4. Perfection

Perfection was not a goal; it was a necessity.

Perfection ensured her father's approval, but today, perfection was a personal drive. Azula had heard rumors of firebenders producing blue flames. If those rumors were true, she'd master it.

She glared at the fire in her hand. Sweat beaded on her brow; her hair clung to her forehead. _Burn hotter, _she commanded.

The base of the flame began to change color. Azula willed it to obey her. Instead, it guttered out.

Perfection took time to acquire.

Azula didn't learn how to produce blue fire that day. But she did learn patience.

* * *

5. Map(250)

"Come here, Sokka. I want to teach you something."

The boy shot to his feet, almost bouncing with excitement. His father pulled him onto his lap and turned him toward the table. A weathered scroll had been rolled across the surface, revealing a map of the world.

"Are you teaching me how to fight?" Sokka asked. "Do I get to use my new boomerang now?"

"No, not yet," his father said. Sokka deflated. "I'm going to show you how to read a map."

Sokka frowned. "That's _boring_!"

His father chuckled. "It's not as bad as it sounds. See this dot? That's Omashu."

Sokka wriggled out of his father's arms. "I don't want to read maps, I want to be a warrior."

"Navigation is an integral part of good leadership."

Sokka's nose twitched. "Really?"

"Really. How can you fight the Fire Nation if you don't know where they are?"

"I _know _where the Fire Nation is, Dad."

The man arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Why don't you show me?"

Sokka jumped onto his father's lap and pointed. "It's right here."

"How would the Earth Kingdom troops get there, do you think?"

Sokka scrutinized the map. "Um . . . Through Serpent's Pass?

"And where's that?"

Sokka pointed. When his father asked him to find Ba Sing Se, he scanned the map for that, too. Same for Whale Tail Island. Within minutes, Sokka was deeply absorbed in his task.

Navigation was boring. But pointing to dots on a map was kind of fun.

* * *

6. Fireworks

"Kuzon, I don't think this is a good idea . . ."

"Don't be silly." The firebender balanced a flame on his fingertip, illuminating the meadow. "The show's tomorrow anyway. This way, you'll get to see it before you leave."

Aang frowned, following the firebender through the field. The open space left them exposed, vulnerable. "We'll get caught."

Kuzon smiled. "We won't get caught. Loosen up. This is an adventure."

Aang sighed.

"Ready?" Kuzon asked.

"Ready."

Kuzon lit waxed string. Rockets streaked through the night sky before exploding.

Later, when Monk Gyatso asked about the premature fireworks, Aang feigned ignorance.


	3. Tenderness, Chopsticks, and Villages

7. Tenderness

Ursa threw off the sheets. Even in winter, the palace sweltered, the air sticky. Six months since their wedding, she still wasn't used to her home.

She slipped out of bed and walked to the mirror by her dresser. She brushed her hair in the silent way she'd perfected since the wedding.

A moment later, warm fingertips trailed down her arm.

"You should sleep," Ozai murmured, taking her hand. His eyes were unexpectedly gentle.

Ursa bowed her head. "Of course."

"Ursa?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Her heart fluttered. Ozai had never said that to her before. "I love you, too."

* * *

8. Chopsticks

"A little to the left. Forward. There."

Toph buried the chopsticks in the bowl, teeth clenched.

"Now just take the chopsticks and—"

"I know how to do it!" She tried to grab the noodles. She wanted to hold the chopsticks with her toes—she sensed _some _things with her feet—but that was _bad manners_, so she held them with hands as blind as her eyes. She managed to get a hold of a glob of noodles and lift them to her mouth. At the last moment, they dropped into her lap, hot and slimy.

She had never hated her blindness more.

* * *

9. Village

_Impossible. _Jet stared at the crimson splotch painting his mother's kimono. _This isn't fair._

The scent of iron choked him. He had to get out of here, had to . . .

His eyes felt funny, stinging, filmed with tears. Embers clung to the walls. _The house is burning._ "Mom, get up. _Mom._" Anguish twisted through him when she didn't move.

The heat grew oppressive, nipping at his skin. "Mom!"

_She's gone, _Jet realized, heat crawling across his skin. _I can't stay here. _

His knees shook as he stood. Numbness took over his body.

He started running and didn't stop.


	4. Chi Blockers, Males, and Resentment

_Author's Notes:_

_The second drabble is based on the assumption that the Fire Nation's system of nobility, before the end of the war, favored male heirs over female heirs. As this has been the practice of many cultures throughout time, I thought it was probably an accurate assumption for that time period. Additionally, the views expressed in these drabbles in no way reflect my own beliefs or customs. Enjoy._

* * *

10. Chi Blocker(150)

"You have to be _faster_," her teacher ordered. "You may not be a bender, but you can do this."

"I'm _trying_," Ty Lee whined. Her mentor's hand snaked out and slapped her, hard. She lowered her head. "Sorry."

"Get up. Do it right."

Ty Lee rose unsteadily to her feet, wiping away tears. All she'd wanted was to outshine her sisters in some way. All she'd wanted was to be someone her harried parents could acknowledge.

All this training was useless. She'd never be able to shine.

Fury bloomed in her heart. Fury at the world, at herself, at her siblings. When something stirred in her peripheral vision, her hand shot forward, eyes zeroing in on her target. When her fingertips struck her mentor's wrist, the woman's hand went limp.

Ty Lee's breath shook; she lifted her eyes to see her teacher beaming.

Pride replaced the fury in her heart.

* * *

11. Male

Mai hated her brother.

He was an obnoxious snot-machine, yet her parents lavished attention on him, cooing, claiming he'd be a great soldier someday.

They loved him because he was a boy, and she was not.

When it came to nobility, male heirs won out over their female relatives every time. Though there was no law enforcing the trend, there had never been a female Fire Lord or female head of the family, except in those decimated clans who'd lost their men to war.

Mai hated her brother because he was destined for greatness, and she had to earn it.

* * *

12. Resentment

Azula perched herself in a tree overlooking the turtle-duck pond, relaxing after a three-hour lesson in firebending. Wanting peace and quiet, the last thing she expected was to have her older brother's sobs grating on her ears.

"Mom, I burnt my hand!" Zuko cried. Azula grinned.

It was wonderful to watch Zuko suffer.

But when she saw her mother pull Zuko into her arms and cradle him like an infant, Azula's sadistic glee turned to puzzlement. Mother never held her like that, not even when she hurt herself in training. Yet she was holding Zuko.

Resentment burned through her veins.


	5. Badgermoles, Waterbenders, and Gone

13. Badgermoles

Toph crawled through the bushes, hands tracing every pebble in her path. Between her sense of hearing, touch, and smell, she had no need for sight.

Her mother's panicked shout echoed through the mountains. Toph nudged her way through the bushes until she found the cave. She crawled inside. The heat of the sun abated, replaced by shade. Like any good earthbender, she sat, waiting patiently.

The walls rumbled, stones shattering. She felt the steady tromp of paws approaching. A growl echoed from the depths of the caves.

Her parents didn't understand her, or her disability. But the badgermoles did.

* * *

14. Waterbender

Katara's voice pierced the frigid air. "Dad, guess what?"

Hakoda turned toward his daughter. "Katara, pull your hood up. It's freezing."

"Sorry," she said. "But look what I can do!" Her arms moved in a wide circle. The ice at her feet melted and danced with her movements.

"Katara . . ."

"I'm a _waterbender_. Isn't that great?"

Images of fire, of ships with red flags and steel hulls, flashed through his mind, coupled with the crippling pain of loss. _She's the only waterbender in the South Pole._

It didn't matter, he decided. He'd never surrender his daughter to anyone.

* * *

15. Gone(150)

Pakku dusted the last of the ivory shavings off the pendant and threaded the blue ribbon through the hole at the top. _This one's much better than the first. Kanna will love it._

He skated over the walkways with the help of his waterbending. Master Lu said he was a promising student. Surely Kanna would see the worth in him, even for an arranged marriage.

Most mornings, Kanna hung out at the docks, staring out at the ocean. Pakku ran, hoping to catch her before she returned to her duties. When he didn't see her right away, he addressed one of the boys hanging out by the docks. "Have you seen Kanna?"

"You're . . . Pakku?"

"Yes."

"Kanna told me to tell you she's going south, and that you shouldn't wait for her."

The necklace fell from Pakku's hands. "What?"

Pity filled the boy's eyes. "She's gone. I'm sorry."


	6. Avatars, Lightning, and Choices

16. Avatar(200)

Monk Gyatso watched the toddler dig through mounds of toys. _Is this it? _he wondered, as Aang selected something from the pile.

"The clay turtle," one of the other monks whispered. "The earth relic."

"Keep watching. We have to be certain."

Silence fell as the toddler moved to another section of the pile. Aang pulled a miniature propeller from a stack of similar toys, lips stretching into a smile as he did so. _The air relic, _Gyatso thought, eyes narrowing. _Have we found the Avatar?_

The boy wandered around the room for a while, then stooped down to pick up the wooden monkey of the Fire Nation. Gyatso exchanged a glance with his peers, raising his eyebrows. One of the monks nodded back to him.

_Just one more, _he thought, breathing deeply to contain his excitement. He could see the wooden hand drum just a few meters to Aang's left. _This will decide it. _

The young airbender strolled past the relic, paused, then turned around, as if being directed by some spiritual force. Then he stooped down and picked up the water tribe relic.

Monk Gyatso let out a breath. "I will tell the council. The Avatar has been found."

* * *

17. Lightning

A soft knock pulled Zuko's attention from the scroll he'd been reading. Thunder crashed as he answered.

Azula stood outside his room.

"What's wrong?"

She shuffled anxiously. "Lightning."

"You're scared?"

Azula nodded. Pity welled up in Zuko's stomach; he'd been afraid of lightning once. "Don't be scared. Master firebenders can create lightning, you know."

Azula frowned, dubious. "Zu-zu, can I stay here?"

He sighed, opening his door wider. "Sure."

Azula hurried to his bed and dove under the covers. He laid down next to her, face-up. "Better?"

She curled up against his side, throwing an arm over his torso. "Better."

* * *

18. Choice

Kanna stood at the edge of the docks, watching the sun rise over the waves. In her hands sat the pendant Pakku had given her the day when the match had become official. "Sorry, Pakku," she whispered.

Perhaps, in time, she could've grown to love him. But this wasn't about love.

She'd paid one of the bait boys to give Pakku the news. She expected him to visit her again this morning. She wanted to tell him herself, but doing so would jeopardize her chances of escape.

Marriage wasn't just a matter of love. Kanna wanted to choose her destiny.


	7. Marriages, Earth Rumbles, and Deliveries

19. Marriage(200)

Kya's fingertips brushed her necklace. Engagement necklaces were a custom of the Northern Water Tribe, but her husband's mother, Kanna, had passed it down to her this morning, since she hadn't married the man who'd given it to her.

The Tsungi Horns played. Kya stepped past the silk curtain and started down the ice path they'd smoothed out for her. At the end of the aisle stood Hakoda, his sapphire eyes glinting in the sun. Joy sparked in her heart.

When she reached the altar, Hakoda's mother had them recite their vows. They were simple—words that had been spoken a thousand times by a thousand tongues before her. Hakoda's eyes never strayed from her face.

"Hakoda, do you accept this lovely woman as your wife?"

"I do."

"And Kya, do you accept this brave warrior as your husband?"

Tears burned in her eyes. "I do."

Kanna smiled and stepped forward, wrapping a length of rope around their wrists and tying it tight. "I hereby pronounce you man and wife. May your union be forever loving."

Hakoda leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"I love you," Kya whispered, tracing the ropes that bound them together. "Forever."

* * *

20. Earth Rumble

The arena shook with the song of boulders being smashed together. The crowd cheered, the sound as deep as the growl of a badgermole.

Toph leaned forward. A grin split her face as she pressed her feet against the floor to get a better view of the action. "Fight!" she yelled. "Take him down!"

Truthfully, she wasn't sure which competitor she'd cheered for. She'd wandered into the arena by accident, discovering it with her still-developing seismic sense, so she knew none of the competitors.

_Doesn't matter_, she thought. _One day, I'll be there, and everyone will be rooting for me._

* * *

21. Delivery

"Bumi, there's already a delivery system. Why are we doing this?"

The earthbender grinned, picking up the package. One eye opened wider than the other, making him look somewhat . . . insane. "To ride the mail chutes, of course!"

Aang blinked. "Huh?"

Half an hour later, they were sitting in a stone cart high above Omashu. "Ready, Aang?"

Aang braced himself, angling his staff away from him so it wouldn't stab him if this ended badly. "Ready . . ."

Bumi pulled them over the edge of the hill.

Gravity grabbed them and yanked them to Omashu's residential district.


	8. Soldiers, Mountaintops, and Deserters

22. Soldier

For the first time in weeks, Zhao's uniform was clean.

Fire Nation banners fluttered in the breeze. Tendrils of smoke rose from ceremonial torches.

"We have gathered here today to commemorate the completion of your training," his commander said, marching down the line. Zhao squared his shoulders as his superior passed. Finally, his hard work was about to pay off.

"Each of you has chosen to serve the Fire Nation. It is only with your service that we may triumph. Go forth now as soldiers!"

Zhao grinned, bowing with the rest of his unit. _It all begins today, _he thought.

* * *

23. Mountaintop

Oma hiked up the mountain trail, shifting her gathering basket so it sat comfortably on her shoulders.

"Grandma, if you send me up here for flowers _one _more time . . ." she grumbled, knowing her grandmother was far away, making gifts for the warriors.

"Flowers, huh?"

Oma's head snapped up. A black-haired man towered over her, standing at the tip of the mountain. Her heart quickened, part fear and part attraction. Fear because he was a stranger, which meant he was an enemy. Attraction because he was, well, attractive. "Who are you?"

He grinned. "You can call me Shu."

* * *

24. Deserter

Jeong Jeong looked back at the camp and grieved for the life he was about to abandon.

But there was nothing else he _could _do. He couldn't continue working under Ozai's oppressive regime, or retire and teach firebending to young soldiers knowing fire brought only pain and destruction. His only skills related to the Fire Nation's military training and his limited survival experience, which meant he was fit only for menial labor if he merely tried to retire.

_No, _he thought, turning away and walking down the dirt path. _All I can do now is keep myself from looking back._


	9. Killers, Deaths, and Tears

25. Killer

The waterbender's haunted eyes warmed Yon Rha like a hearth fire. She was like a cornered animal, waiting to be slaughtered. One more untrained waterbender to slay.

Outside, he heard the little girl calling for help. Soon, water tribe warriors would storm this little igloo trying to stop him. He'd leave them a corpse, he decided. "So sorry," he said lightly. The woman's eyes narrowed, arms winding around her torso as if to protect herself. He stepped forward, raising a fist and feeling the heat rise to his knuckles. "But orders are orders."

Orange light danced against the icy walls.

* * *

26. Dead

They'd tried to stop Katara from seeing. They'd been ten seconds too late. She sat outside the igloo, ignoring the stench, the horrible images dancing in front of her eyes.

Her father was weeping.

Sokka sat beside her, arms wrapped around her shoulders. The last time they'd hugged, he had claimed she'd had cooties and run off.

Katara didn't cry. Her stomach knotted up and her throat ached as if she'd been sobbing for hours, but not a single tear slipped past her icy control. _I couldn't stop him. I couldn't do anything._

Inside the igloo, her mother was dead.

* * *

27. Tears

The war had been a vague concept to her, something too distant to affect their tribe. As Katara watched her grandmother push her mother's leather-wrapped body into the sea, Katara understood her mistake. War wasn't vague or distant. War was something that took hold of people's hearts, ripped them out, and tossed them onto the ice.

"May your journey to the Spirit World be a gentle one, my daughter," her grandmother whispered as the bundle of fabric disappeared under the water. Bubbles rose to the surface.

For the first time since running into their igloo, Katara was able to cry.


	10. Blindness, Choices, and a Tsungi Horn

28. Blind

The baby's wail pierced the birthing room.

Lao Bei Fong gaped, trying not to gag as the midwives lifted the squalling baby, carrying her away to clean the blood and other fluids from her skin. The midwives murmured anxiously over the newborn.

"What's wrong?" Lao demanded. _She's not stillborn. She cried, she's not stillborn . . . _

The women didn't respond, merely fussing over the baby as they went about their duties. Finally, Lao grabbed one of women's shoulders and spun her around. "What's going on? What's wrong with the baby?"

"I'm sorry, Master Bei Fong. The baby is blind."

* * *

29. Choices

"Retreat to the inner sanctum!" shouted Monk Pasang, opening the gates with an airbending blast. The survivors flooded inside. Gyatso went in last, yanking the doors shut. Someone jammed a spear through the opening and pried them open again.

"Defend the temple!"

_No, _Gyatso thought. _Not this way._

The doors opened, soldiers rushing in. Screams tore from people's throats. _This can't be happening. _

But it was. Gyatso watched a spear bury itself in a young airbender's heart, blood spurting across the metal shaft and dyeing the floors crimson.

_I have to stop this. _

Gyatso stepped forward and made his choice.

* * *

30. Tsungi Horn(150)

Notes poured from the Tsungi Horn like liquid gold. Zuko listened from the doorway.

Lu Ten had closed his eyes, improvising melodies. He looked almost lost, as if the sound was a meandering stream, carrying him away. When the song ended, his eyelids fluttered. "Hey, Zuko."

Zuko jumped, retreating behind the wall. When Lu Ten chuckled, he poked his head into the music room again. "How did you know I was here?"

"I could hear you thinking."

Zuko scowled. "That doesn't make any sense."

Again, his cousin smiled. "I can teach you how to play, if you're interested."

"Will I be good at it?"

"If you practice."

He hesitated, then walked into the room and sat beside his cousin. "Can I just listen for a while, first?"

Surprise flitted across Lu Ten's face, but he put his lips to the mouthpiece and began playing.

Zuko closed his eyes and listened.


	11. Pants II, Brothers II, and Storms

31. Pants II

"My pants!"

Katara dropped the article onto the floor, glaring. Sokka flinched, sensing a fight on the horizon. "I can explain."

"Sokka . . ."

"No, _really_! I thought that was the laundry pot. I thought you were doing _laundry_."

"I did laundry two days ago! I'm not washing your pants _again_."

"You did last time they got dirty!"

"This is the third time this week!"

"_Please_, Katara."

"No!" She picked the pants up from the ground and threw them at him. "Wear them or wash them yourself."

"Katara!"

She crossed her arms. "Fine," he said, groaning. "I'll wear them."

* * *

32. Brothers II

"Would you like to hold him?" her mother asked, holding Tom-Tom in front of her.

Mai stared at the squalling baby, nauseated. The midwives had cleaned him off, but patches of blood and amniotic fluid still clung to his wrinkled skin. "Ew."

"Come now, darling. Don't you want to hold you baby brother?"

"No. He's wrinkly and covered in slime."

"Honey, that's from the birth. It's perfectly natural."

"I don't want to hold him!"

Her mother opened her mouth to protest. Mai's father intervened. "He _is_ awfully slimy."

A rare smile graced Mai's lips. She'd never loved her father more.

* * *

33. Storm

Aang clung to the reins, hands shaking with fear and cold. The storm raged around him, rain slicing into his skin.

He wasn't ready. Not ready to be the Avatar. Not ready to leave Monk Gyatso.

A sudden gale slammed into Appa's side. They lurched in the air. Lightning flashed as the frigid sea embraced them. _We'll drown, _Aang realized, horrified.

They sank deeper into the water. The chill seeped into his flesh. Numbness flooded his body, but something buried instinct rose up and pushed the numbness away.

The water around him turned to ice. The world faded to black.


	12. Trees, Grief, and Succession

34. Tree

Mai perched herself on the branch, hiding among the waxy leaves. _Azula would never respect me if she knew about this, _she thought, finding a comfortable place among the gnarled branches.

The sun crawled higher into the sky, filtering through the leaves and leaving dappled patterns over her pale skin. Concerned about getting a sunburn, Mai didn't notice Zuko approaching until he was at the pond's edge.

Unaware of her presence, he knelt beside the pond and tossed breadcrumbs into the water. Several baby turtleducks swam up to him, eager for their afternoon feeding.

A rare smile found her lips.

* * *

35. Grief

They carried the casket to the unlit pyre, wearing blue, the sacred color reserved for ceremonies like weddings. Or funerals.

Iroh felt numb. As if winter itself had sunk its talons into his heart and frozen him.

Ozai laid a hand on his shoulder. Iroh turned, expecting a rebuke for his grief. Ozai's face was solemn, pitying. "Lu Ten was a child of fire. His embers will never die."

It was one of those meaningless platitudes people said when they couldn't think of anything meaningful. But Ozai had never understood kindness; perhaps such platitudes were the best he could offer.

* * *

36. Succession(150)

When the Fire Sages told him of the change in his father's will, Iroh was unsurprised. Hurt, yes. Disappointed, yes. But not surprised.

Perhaps he'd known when Ozai had claimed that Lu Ten's embers would burn on. Perhaps he'd known when he'd overheard Ozai confronting their father about the royal succession.

"If you're going to argue about this . . ." Ozai warned as Iroh entered the throne room. The aging general regarded his brother for a moment, then knelt in front of the dais.

"I will not challenge you," Iroh said, though he was certain of foul play. "You are Fire Lord now."

Ozai nodded. "Good. Then leave."

Iroh rose, folded his hands in front of him, and left. He didn't think Ozai understood the kindness he'd exhibited in stealing the throne from him. Lu Ten's death had left him bleeding; Iroh needed time to let those wounds mend.


	13. Tales of the Cabbage Man

37. Cabbages(150)

"Why do I have to do this?"

His father's lips twisted into a snarl; his callused hand streaked across the boy's cheek. "There's a war going on, _boy_. If you're not going to fight, then at least make yourself useful selling cabbages."

At seventeen years old, lacking other occupational skills, he left the village, peddling cabbages in war camps near home. People started calling him "the cabbage man." Twice in one year, he got robbed on the road and had to return to his father to beg for money.

At thirty, he left the village for good. At forty, famine plagued the Earth Kingdom. Cabbages grew scarce, increasing in value but decreasing in quality. At forty-five, he resolved to save up by selling cabbages in big cities like Omashu.

He didn't know, then, that changes in the tide of the war would make it a miserable year for selling cabbages.

* * *

38. Gaoling

The tournaments in Gaoling provided a steady flow of customers. Few people set up shop outside the earthbending arena, probably to avoid being prosecuted(dueling wasn't illegal in Gaoling, but gambling was).

For a time, business flourished. People gathered weekly in the arena to bet and cheer for the competitors. One day, he met the Blind Bandit in a most unexpected way.

"Move!" she shouted, barreling down the path atop a boulder, headed straight for him.

"Watch out!"

The girl collided with his cart, smashing it to bits. Cabbages fell everywhere, like severed heads.

His shout echoed through Gaoling. _"My cabbages!"_

* * *

39. Farewells

Her name was Ming.

The first time she'd come, they'd exchanged pleasantries. On the second, smiles. The third, anecdotes about their youth, their work.

"You know," she said one day. "I still don't know your real name."

He shrugged.

"_Are _you going to tell me your name?"

He hesitated, glancing at his cart of cabbages. "No."

"Why not?"

"If I told you . . . I'd have a reason to stay. And I have to keep traveling."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"No." He smiled ruefully, then pushed his cart down the street, leaving her behind. "Love never makes sense."


	14. Big Brothers, Requests, and Warriors

40. Big Brother(150)

"You're a girl, aren't you?" Naruk taunted. "It's your _job _to wash clothes."

Sokka looked up from his boomerang. His sister was staring at a pair of pants that Naruk had apparently thrust into her arms. "I'm _not _washing your dirty clothes!"

"Are too. Now hurry up, little girl."

Sokka strode toward the boy. The ships would be leaving in a week, Naruk with them, but that meant nothing. "Back off. Katara said she doesn't want to wash them."

"She's a _girl_. It doesn't matter what she wants."

Sokka rushed forward, shoving the boy's chest. Naruk crashed into the snowdrift. Sokka snatched the pants from Katara's hands and threw them at the older boy. "Come on, Katara. Let's go back to the igloo."

"Why did you push him?" she asked, later on.

"You're my sister," he answered. "It doesn't matter whether you're right or wrong; I'll always take your side."

* * *

41. Request

"Uncle?"

Iroh opened his eyes. The fire in the hearth had died during his nap, leaving the room chilly. "Yes?"

Zuko crept closer. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Well . . . it's about Lu Ten."

The name cleaved his heart in two.

"You don't have to answer," Zuko said, retreating. "But . . . He said he'd teach me to play the Tsungi Horn."

The ache in his chest deepened. He said nothing.

"I was wondering . . . if _you _could teach me."

Iroh hesitated, fighting the wave of grief. "We will start tomorrow."

* * *

42. Kyoshi Warrior

"I'm going to be the best warrior _ever_," Suki declared.

"Yes, yes." Her mother led her inside. "We'll see what you think in a week."

The instructor looked over at their entrance, smiling. She ordered the warriors to continue practicing, then approached. Suki tried to appear formidable. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Suki. I'm seven."

The woman's smile widened. "Then you're old enough to start training."

"Can I wear the costume?"

"Yes, but the uniform's not the important part."

"It isn't?"

The woman pulled her onto the training mat. "Come, Suki. I'll teach you all you need to know."


	15. Memorials, Obedience, and a Fading World

43. Faded

The world faded in and out of focus whenever Zuko opened his eyes.

"Step aside," a voice said. Zuko started to turn his head, then gasped, agony searing his skin. "Nephew!"

_Uncle? _His lips moved, but no sound came out, and the world went dark. When he resurfaced, he opened his eyes and saw Uncle perched on the edge of his bed. Iroh's hand folded around his. "Zuko."

"Uncle . . . Everything's blurry."

Iroh's expression shifted, but through half-blind eyes, the movement was indistinct. Uncle said nothing, just held his hand.

Zuko closed his eyes. The world faded again.

* * *

44. Obedience

_"Don't concern yourself with such a pitiful brother," _Ozai said, and Azula obeyed, passing Zuko's empty room every day without pausing.

_"Your brother is weak. You are the rightful heir," _Ozai said, and Azula watched noblemen kowtow as her palanquin passed.

_"You are my greatest and most loyal tool," _Ozai said, and Azula sailed across the Earth Kingdom and burned villages in her father's name.

_"Your brother failed. Look what happened to him. If you don't want to get burned, you won't fail," _Ozai said. And Azula didn't fail. Couldn't fail because, unlike her brother, she listened to her father.

* * *

45. Memorial

Kanna watched her granddaughter set the boat in the water, heart twisting with grief. Kya's death had taken a toll on the village. Their numbers had dwindled to almost nothing. This tragedy echoed everything Kanna had lost in her long life.

The miniature boat drifted out to sea in a memorial as old as the tribe. Kanna went to the water's edge and set her own boat in the water.

"Is that for Mom?" Katara asked, eyes shiny with unshed tears.

"Yes." _For Kya. For Pakku. For all those left behind. One boat to carry my memories into the unknown._


	16. Piers, Shirshus, and Fear

46. Fear(150)

Something thumped against the bottom of the table.

"Mom, Azula kicked me."

"I know," Ursa said. At the head of the table, Ozai smiled.

A moment later, she heard another thump. "Stop it," Zuko hissed across the table. Azula giggled. "Mom, make her stop."

"Azula, be nice to your brother."

Ozai's smirk faltered. He set his chopsticks down. "Perhaps you two should continue your _game_ elsewhere," he said, voice quiet, commanding. Threatening. At once, the children abandoned the table. Azula chased Zuko into the corridor.

Ursa regarded Ozai from her seat. After several minutes, she heard Zuko yell from the corridor. "That's not funny!"

Azula giggled.

Ursa picked up her cup of tea. "You shouldn't pit them against each other like this."

"Giving orders to the Fire Lord? How bold."

She repressed a shudder, bowing her head. "Of course not."

Ursa would never admit it, but sometimes she feared Ozai.

* * *

47. Shirshu

June tossed her prisoner onto the ground. "Here's your guy."

Her client hesitated "You _found_ him? I'd heard rumors, but—"

"Whatever." Her fingers flexed, demanding payment.

"Right." The man whistled. "Nyla!"

_Nyla? _

Behind her, something shuffled. June reached for the dagger at her belt. A brown and black creature emerged from a barn, snuffling at the ground. June stared. "A shirshu? _Really_?"

"Please. She's all I can offer."

June snatched the whip from his hand and approached the creature._ Might be useful, _she decided, whistling to the shirshu.

Nyla sat, scratching herself. Or . . . himself, June realized.

Awkward.

* * *

48. Piers

Mai sat on the pier, watching Zuko's ship disappear. Ozai had decided there would be no fanfare, no ceremonies, for his banished son. Stopping by to see Zuko off would've resulted in punishment. But bribing port security had been easy enough.

A storm brewed in her heart, but no emotion reached her face. Mai stared at the choppy waters. Here, one lived by the rules of the Fire Lord, without question. Though her status protected her from severe punishment, she couldn't afford the royal family's ire.

_But I can__ wait for Zuko to return, _she thought. _And he will, someday._


End file.
